Crush
by Ammykace
Summary: Edward has a crush on his teacher. Ed/Izumi


Trace Elements

1.

Izumi Curtis felt a twinge of annoyance. She was glaring down at two children, two very persistent children, begging for her instruction. She really was not a teacher. She glared at the smaller boy.

He glared back. Interesting. She liked the fact he wasn't easily intimidated by her. He looked very determined and full of fire. She thought she could teach someone like that. Izumi let out a sigh and relaxed her posture a little. "What about your parents? Did they give you permission to harass ladies such as myself?"

Both boys finally looked away at that, finding the floor particularly interesting in that moment.

"They don't have any parents. I currently care for them." Pinako Rockbell spoke up from where she was standing, sighing at the two children. "And they can do what they like."

Izumi caught the smaller, but older boy looking up at her with that determined look again. It was all she could do but sigh and cave in. "Alright. I will test you for one month. At the end of that month, if you don't have it, you're coming back here."

"Yes!" Both boys cheered.

At the train station, she got the first glimpse of Edward's cocky attitude. "I'll be back in a year!"

It made her smile. Seemed as though she'd picked up a stray firebrand. Things were about to get a whole lot more interesting in Dublith for awhile.

The test was over. She traveled back to the island with Mason and found the two boys were intact and relatively well fed. Secretly she was impressed, Edward and Alphonse had looked very soft when she met them, nothing about them had been hardened by life experiences yet. "Have you come up with the answer?"

"All is the world!"

"One is me!" Edward added, both shouting enthusiastically.

Izumi couldn't help it, she burst out laughing.

The boys had been living with her for a month already, since the test. They were persistent. They absorbed every bit of knowledge she fed them and took every beating and fight in stride. They really were becoming strong. Edward was notoriously better and stronger in the alchemy side of things and Alphonse was infinitely better at learning the art of combative defense. Though both boys were close and very similar, she found their differences far more interesting. They often made her smile as she looked over them, watching them like a mother would. She was beginning to feel like she should protect them from the world, which wasn't right in its own way.

The days passed by with sparring and chores and their progress was nothing to be balked at. Both boys were driven and determined to learn everything she had to teach them. It was flattering, that way.

That was why Izumi was confused, one day when she was hanging up the laundry and she found Edward watching her. "Don't you have anything to do?"

"I...yes." He blushed and left to do his own chores. He knew better then to shirk them.

She sighed and went back to hanging up the laundry. She wasn't fooled in the least when the boy snuck back to watch her again. This time Izumi didn't speak up, letting him just this once get away with avoiding his duties, provided he was quiet enough.

Edward had never been quiet and after awhile he walked right up to her. "Sensei I...have something I want to tell you."

"Did you break something again?" Izumi said in an exasperated voice as she crouched down to his level with a frown. "You really need to be more-" Her words were suddenly cut off when the little boy pressed his lips to hers. It was awkward and uncomfortable, but he tried his best anyway and then he broke the kiss a moment later.

Izumi was torn between beating the hell out of him for that, or explaining to him what was wrong with kissing her. She settled on a happy medium and swung her fist down on the top of his head. "What was that for?"

Edward crouched, holding his head. "Ow...you...I just...I love you Sensei..."

Izumi sighed. Figured her knucklehead student would get a crush on her. "Edward, you can love me just fine, but I think you're a little confused. You don't love me like that." She gently ran her fingers through the soft, childish blond hair. "Besides, I'm married, and you don't kiss married women. Understand?"

The little one nodded but didn't meet her eyes. She could tell from the way his shoulders were shaking, he was crying. Izumi sighed and pulled him into her arms, rocking him gently. "It's okay, I'm not mad."

He nodded and clung to her. That was all he really needed from her and Izumi realized it. She smiled and reached down and gave him a kiss on the cheek. "Don't cry...alright?"

Edward gave her the widest smile in return.

"Now get back to your chores!"

Izumi smiled, satisfied when he ran off without protest.


End file.
